1. This invention relates in general to a surface treatment tool, and more particularly to a tool for treating work surfaces.
Work surfaces often have a surface profile designed for traction. Sometimes the work surface profile provides traction even when the work surface is wet. Such a work surface is commonly used on the decks of boats, but can also used on surfaces and floors in factories, kitchens, around swimming pools, on wooden decks, and generally any surface that becomes slippery when wet.
These work surfaces can be made of plastic, ceramics, or epoxies like fiberglass, depending upon the environment of usage. In the case of boat decks, fiberglass work surfaces are typical due to the durability of the material. The pattern on the work surface typically has a plurality of protuberances that are separated by intersecting grooves or recesses. The protuberances and recesses commonly form a pattern that covers the work surface in sets of lateral and longitudinal rows and columns. Another pattern has recesses that intersect at angles, thereby defining a plurality of diamond shaped protuberances formed on the work surface.
The work surface may need finishing or dressing after replacing damaged portions of the work surface. Replacement of the damaged portion is typically achieved with a putty of fiberglass material that is smeared over the portion needing new surfacing after the damaged portion is removed. A mold having a matching pattern is pressed into the putty of repairing material for a desired amount of time. After the mold is removed, sometimes the replacement portion requires dressing or finishing to remove extra material, or make the replaced portion appear more similar to the surrounding portion of the work surface. Sometimes the surface is not as reflective, and sometimes there is a slight variation in the patterns due to the original surface being stretched by the installer of the work surface. The typical manner of dressing the replacement portions was either with folded sandpaper or a tool like a file that is used to dress or finish each row of protuberances individually.
A dressing block provides an apparatus to dress a work surface having a pattern of protuberances. The dressing block includes a block body. The block body has an abrasive surface for dressing the work surface. The block body also typically includes a portion that can be held or connected to during use. Parallel ribs are formed on the abrasive surface, and the ribs are also abrasive. The ribs are spaced apart so that the ribs slidingly engage the recesses or grooves between the protuberances of the pattern on the work surface.
In one embodiment, each of the ribs have oppositely facing inclined faces so that the portion of the rib extending into the recesses of the work surface is narrower than the portion closer to the base of the ribs. The inclined faces matingly engage the sides of the protuberances. The inclined faces extend from the base of the ribs to a surface that slidingly engages the recesses of the work surface between the protuberances.
The dressing block matingly engages parallel recesses between the protuberances of the work surface. The user then slides the dressing block along the parallel recesses. The abrasive surface of the dressing block engages the sides and the upper surface of the protuberances, and the recesses between the protuberances.
The dressing block can, as desired, be rotated so that ribs align with another set of parallel recesses that intersect the previously recesses. The method described above is then repeated.